


We're Dating (No, We're Faking It)

by GlowingMechanicalHeart



Series: Fictober20 [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Secret Crush, fictober20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26866519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingMechanicalHeart/pseuds/GlowingMechanicalHeart
Summary: Pepper stares at the face of an unrepentant Tony Stark. “Are you kidding me?” She manages, once she’s recovered from the shock. She shakes her head, as if trying to clear it. “Why exactly did you do that?!”Tony, looks at her as if she were slow. To be honest, she’s feeling it. Tony grins at her, leans forward from his seat and she fights the impulse to slap him. “Because you’re the only one Christine would not dare mess with.”
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: Fictober20 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974964
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34
Collections: Fictober20





	We're Dating (No, We're Faking It)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fictober-Event, prompts # 4. “that didn’t stop you before” & 24\. “are you kidding me?”

Pepper stares at the face of an unrepentant Tony Stark. “Are you kidding me?” She manages, once she’s recovered from the shock. She shakes her head, as if trying to clear it. “Why exactly did you do that?!”

Tony, looks at her as if she were slow. To be honest, she’s feeling it. Tony grins at her, leans forward from his seat and she fights the impulse to slap him. “Because you’re the only one Christine would not dare mess with.”

She closes her eyes, she really doesn’t need a rival nor the whole school newspaper team giving her wide berth. Some already do, but she really, really doesn’t need them is printing stuff about her. She’s the student’s association treasurer, she doesn’t need a scandal. Much less, when Yale Business calls. But, now thanks to one Tony Stark, she will likely will be putting fires and dealing with unwanted attention. All because he couldn’t think of someone else, all because he had to go and tell Christine Everheart that they were dating. “And you couldn’t think of someone else?” She asks, once she opens her eyes and glares at him, Tony doesn’t flinch from her gaze. The bastard’s quite amused.

Tony shrugs. “The other person she would’ve not dare mess is my Platypus, and Rhodey would sooner kick my ass than kiss it.” He leans again, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Besides, we make a power couple. And we’re totally made for each other.”

She knows he’s joking, the light tone is a dead giveaway. And now, she wants to cry. This is her last year of high school and, much to her chagrin, she has developed feelings for him. She likes him more than what she should. And now, he’s basically told the school they are together, because telling Christine is basically broadcasting it in the news, she’ll probably make a good journalist someday. “And what do I get out of it? I mean, what if I wanted to date someone else and you’ve gone and ruined it.”

For a moment, Tony flounders. Then in what she has now realize is typical behavior, gives her a winning smile, “C’mon miss Potts, you can’t do better than me. Well, truth be told, Rhodey would be better than me. But the school’s full of losers and you know it. As to what you get out of it, well, you’d be fake dating me and I’m awesome. I’m willingly offering some actual dates, just because of the trouble and yes, I’m paying.” Of course he could, he’s rich. Not that’s saying much, because the private high school they attend is not cheap. It’s for the wealthy. But even surrounded by wealth, Tony’s inheritance is larger than just about everyone else.

It’s not, but she’s really not interested in risking her heart. And another, smaller, traitorous part of her wants to size up the opportunity and see where things go. She knows which is going to win. But she might as well set some rules. “Fine. But I have rules…”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less of you, Pep.”

She glares, but his smirk is now smug and, right now, she’s torn between kissing it or slapping it away. “First of all…”

They spend the next several minutes laying down rules. She feels quite accomplished at the fact that he didn’t argue, much. But there’s the logical part of hers that is telling her that she’s being a complete idiot. That doesn’t do much for how her heart skips a beat when Tony takes her hand after they leave the council room. Tony simply looks smug.

Tony and her have been fake dating for two weeks when one day, she’s talking with some of her girl friends and Tony all but rushes towards her and kisses her in full public view. She’s left rather dazzled after that. Tony winks and ‘reminds’ them that they are going for a date after school. Her girlfriends giggle.

It’s been a month when it happens, Christine is trying to make some rumors about her. Since printing them would be out of line and would risk her loosing her spot on the newspaper, Christine opts for rumors. She catches them very soon and she deals with Christine in the same way she deals with everyone, with polite, but cutting words. Ok, maybe all but calling Christine trash wasn’t the best, but she did get on her nerves. And she will not allow anyone to put her down as just ‘a handy woman – if you know what I mean.’

Tony kisses her in public again when he finds out.

It’s been two months, when they’re sitting on a booth in a fifty’s style dinner, eating (a burger for him, chicken wings for her and both have milkshakes) when Tony looks up and says, “I need your permission to kiss you.”

She arches a brow, “You have before, without proper warning. That didn’t stop you before.”

Tony squirms under her gaze, “Yeah, but this time it’s different. My mom’s been asking about you, and since you agreed to come to the fundraiser we’re throwing, well, I figured that I’d give you head’s up. Since my parents will be there, don’t want to make it awkward.”

She bites into her wing, chews carefully and washes her food with milkshake. “That’s fine.”

The smile that Tony gives her, could match the sun itself in its intensity.

The fundraiser is quite something, she’s sitting with Tony, next to his parents. His mother, had welcomed her with a hug and a kiss on her cheek, “Tony has spoken so much of you, I’m glad that we’ve finally meeting.”

She had turned to Tony, he’d blushed. “Thank you Mrs. Stark. It’s very lovely to meet you.” She will not be intimidated, even by a woman who is on the society pages for all the charity work she does and her business acumen. 

The whole even had been flawless, Tony had asked her to dance several times. They had spoken about everything and she found that she didn’t want to leave, it was only when the fundraiser was winding down that she and Tony were walking away from the other people. “What did your mom meant?” She asked.

Tony did not met her eyes, in fact, he was looking everywhere but her. “Ah, well, I’ve talked about you with her, about you wanting to go into business. Did you know my mom went to Yale?”

She was flattered that he had, but it didn’t made sense. “Why? I mean, I appreciate it, but why talk about me? And no, I didn’t know.”

Tony turns to her, stops walking and she’s forced to stop too. “Because I like you Pep.” He says and she freezes. “I like you very much.” Then he sighed loudly. “Okay fine, I might be in love with you.”

It would be much latter, when she’s had some time to think about it, that the garden was like a fairy garden and the moon was high and flowers gave a lovely scent. It was quite romantic. “Tony Stark if you’re joking…”

Tony panics, holds her hand and makes her look at him. “No! I wouldn’t play with you! Never!”

She looks at him, really looks at him. And he’s looking back at her, eyes soft and shinny and warm. Oh. He means it. Her heart speeds up, she takes a deep breath and exhales loudly. “You’re serious?” Her own voice is soft and quiet.

“I am.” Upfront, simple, easy and very, very Tony. “I love you, Pep.”

She tries to smile at him, but she’s still a bit dazzled. “I love you too,” she finally admits. “Now what?”

“Now, we’re officially dating.”

“Okay.”

Tony beams at her, she can’t quite resist that face and leans forward, he meets her halfway. His lips are soft and warm and it’s perfect. And they will continue dating and see where that goes, and she’s happier than she’s ever been. They separate when the need to breath grows. But they only stare at each other for a good while and then kiss again. Neither spots the camera taking their picture, it makes it into the society pages. Neither of them care.


End file.
